REVscene Automotive Forum - Canada Line Skytrain opening August 17th @ 1pm

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Canada Line Skytrain opening August 17th @ 1pm

answered questions:
http://www.revscene.net/forums/showp...1&postcount=12 (lots of photos)
http://www.revscene.net/forums/showp...3&postcount=40
http://www.revscene.net/forums/showp...4&postcount=66
http://www.revscene.net/forums/showp...8&postcount=67 (bus connections)

Quote:

Canada Line linking Vancouver and Richmond to open Aug. 17

By Kelly Sinoski, Vancouver Sun

METRO VANCOUVER - The new Canada Line linking downtown Vancouver and Richmond will officially open to the public on Monday, Aug. 17, three weeks ahead of Labour Day and three months ahead of schedule.

Commuters can get a free ride on the 19-kilometre rapid transit line, which will run from 1 p.m. until 9 p.m. on opening day to accommodate any potential crowds outside the morning rush hour. No bikes or pets allowed on opening day.

The line will open for regular SkyTrain hours the next day, with the first train leaving Waterfront 4:50 a.m., Richmond Brighouse at 5:05 a.m. and the airport at 5:10 a.m.

The journey between Waterfront and Richmond-Brighouse takes about 26 minutes and costs a two-zone fare of $3.75 per single trip. Passengers heading to the airport will pay a surcharge of $2.50, bringing the fare to $6.25 per single trip but their tickets will be good for 90 minutes.

However, the surcharge won’t come into effect for at least the first four months of operation as TransLink has agreed to defer the Canada Line-YVR add fare until 2010.

The $2-billion Canada Line, which is part of the government’s $14-billion investment in public transit, is equivalent to a 10-lane road between Vancouver and Richmond and is expected to take 200,000 one-way trips off the road system. It was originally slated to open in November but the date was then pushed ahead to Labour Day.

It's now opening another three weeks earlier than planned even though work is still continuing on many of the 16 stations. The new line boasts trains that are longer, wider and have more capacity (**** LOL WRONG CANADALINE PLATFORMS ARE MAX EXPANDABLE TO 50M, SKYTRAIN IS ALREADY LONGER AND ARE IN THE WORKS TO BE EXTENDED****) than trains on the existing two SkyTrain lines to accommodate passengers who will be hauling luggage to and from the airport.

The project, overseen by TransLink subsidiary Canada Line Rapid Transit Inc, has had its share of controversy since it was conceived four years ago. At the time, several municipalities opposed the project, saying it wasn't a priority project in Metro Vancouver and raising concerns about the way TransLink was funding future transportation projects.

The project, originally cited to cost $1.5 billion but in the end cost $2 billion, was nearly killed several times but survived.

It then caused a furore when those building it decided to build a cut-and-cover section along Cambie Street, where merchants complained the dug-up construction zone was prohibiting customers from accessing their shops and killing their businesses.

Several merchants moved out. Others, such maternity shop owner Susan Heyes, successfully sued TransLink, InTransitBC and the Canada Line Rapid Transit for causing a nuisance. She was awarded $600,000 in damages earlier this year.

Meanwhile, TransLink expects to have to subsidize the Canada Line for at least four years before ridership is high enough to reach a break-even point.

The cost is a large part of the reason for the financial crunch that has TransLink looking for as much as $450 million a year in additional funding to operate Metro Vancouver's transit system and its major roads. The rapid transit line was built as public-private partnerships, and in agreements with its partners, TransLink took on most of the "ridership risk."

That means TransLink will have to subsidize the until ridership hits forecast levels, which the regional transportation authority acknowledges will take years. The Canada Line isn't expected to see its projected 100,000 riders a day until 2013.

© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun
http://www.vancouversun.com/Canada+L...013/story.html

just so you guys know canada line is operated by private contractor PROTRANSIT (for 30 years) who are paid by translink based on performance.

The trains are traditional rail using physical brakes and slower accelerations, skytrain has no motors and uses magnets to move and brake.
http://www.canadaline.ca/OPENING/image/station_map.gif

great news its opening ahead of schedule

Quote:

Originally Posted by van_driver (Post 6533705)

great news its opening ahead of schedule

internally the its on schedule, for months its been know it would open in august. They always set schedule dates farther out for pr reasons on projects like this one.

So what line do you take to go to the YVR and Brighouse? Or are they on the same line, which makes no sense.

Isnt Vancouver city centre already like within walking distance or waterfront?
But other than that its gunna be awesome, they have the stations at the mall too!

do they have turnstiles for the canada line?

now all the hobos will move from surrey central/kg to aberdeen. yay!

Now where's that Evergreen Line? fuuuuuuuuuuuu

woot free ride from van to richmond!

http://www.seataf.com/blogs/canadali...s/IMG_2229.jpg

Quote:

Originally Posted by KingDeeCee (Post 6533743)

So what line do you take to go to the YVR and Brighouse? Or are they on the same line, which makes no sense.

alternating one yvr one richmond/brighouse, led signs on outside next to doors and in front of train display destination
http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/2061/img2759l.jpg
http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/1...ontstnnext.jpg
http://buzzer.translink.ca/wp-conten...ront-train.jpg

Quote:

Originally Posted by yellowpower (Post 6533753)

Isnt Vancouver city centre already like within walking distance or waterfront?
But other than that its gunna be awesome, they have the stations at the mall too!

canadaline waterfront station connects to the old waterfront terminal building
vancouver CITY Centre entrance is infront of SEARS at georgia and granville
and has connectors to Pacific centre next to sony style store (store hours only) and vancouver center mall (store hours only)
http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/2030/img2744x.jpg
http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/1209/img2746qmy.jpg

Quote:

Originally Posted by twitchyzero (Post 6533817)

do they have turnstiles for the canada line?

no, every skytrain station is being retrofitted next year and the zone system will be abolished for smart cards that are based on distance (like hong kongs octopus pass), the good news is canada line stations are built for turnstiles
example : see where the handicap turnstile is? there will turnstiles there
http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/9...vrplatform.jpg
templeton same thing!
http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/8...tonplatfor.jpg
you know those white circles on the skytrain ticket machines they are for smart pass! now see the updated machines the translink circle is the relocated smart pass reader
http://buzzer.translink.ca/wp-conten...7/img_2690.jpg

Quote:

Originally Posted by R8 (Post 6533849)

Now where's that Evergreen Line? fuuuuuuuuuuuu

next (under environmental studies stage)then ubc extension of millennium line (although translink needs 400more million a year, bylaw they cannot run a deficit)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2518/...ef257588_b.jpg

I am sure there will be fewer cars on the road and solve the craziness on oak and cambie every evening.
If I still live near brighouse, Skytrain can pretty much take me to anywhere and it costs few bucks.

25min to downtown area, I can't even do it without driving at 80km/h and without any traffic light

They are asking me to buy permit to park right outside my house.....

It's stupid. The new station is like a 10mins walk from here....

Parking in the garage is a must from now on.....

might wanna take a ride on the train just to see how it is

Good Stuff hope the C-lai's use the Canada line to their advantage

looks like this thing doesnt connect with the millenium/expo except at waterfront. what a shame for the metrotown crowd. shoulda made broadway a hub too.

hopefully later on, they'll consider adding a connection to one popular station

Quote:

Originally Posted by Synaptik (Post 6533985)

looks like this thing doesnt connect with the millenium/expo except at waterfront. what a shame for the metrotown crowd. shoulda made broadway a hub too.

yeah, so the metro crowed will have to skytrian to waterfront, then take 26 mins to go to richmond centre.. so maybe 1 hour total still?

i thought it would connect, fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/1209/img2746qmy.jpg

OH HAI.

Shit seriously, can't wait. Wonder how packed it will be.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Synaptik (Post 6533985)

looks like this thing doesnt connect with the millenium/expo except at waterfront. what a shame for the metrotown crowd. shoulda made broadway a hub too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSALES (Post 6533988)

hopefully later on, they'll consider adding a connection to one popular station

Quote:

Originally Posted by ASG111 (Post 6534030)

yeah, so the metro crowed will have to skytrian to waterfront, then take 26 mins to go to richmond centre.. so maybe 1 hour total still?

i thought it would connect, fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

the trains are not SKYTRAIN technology which uses magnets to stop and move trains, the trains are traditional subway ie brakes and motors. The trains are physically different, and are limited to 40m trains (smaller than current skytrain trains byfar) but are slightly wider. PROTRANSBC is the private contractor that built line and the will be running it for 30 years under contract before handing it to translink. Canada line has a separate control center and Translink collects all revenue & pays protransBC based on reliability and satisfaction. The easiest connection until the Millennium line is extended from VCC-CLARK to UBC along broadway, is GRANVILLE and walk to georgia and get on Canada line.

sum it up: government went with Private contractor partnership to save as much money as possible and rejected Bombardier's Skytrain tech which was slightly more in cost. TRAINS ARE DIFFERENT AND NO WAY TO CONNECT TO SKyTRAIN.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KingDeeCee (Post 6534071)

OH HAI.

Shit seriously, can't wait. Wonder how packed it will be.

likely insane considering private contractors cheeped out and built stations to current adaquate usage so hella short platforms and low capacity compared to existing skytrain! :thumbsup:

Quote:

Originally Posted by KingDeeCee (Post 6533743)

So what line do you take to go to the YVR and Brighouse? Or are they on the same line, which makes no sense.

Probably a whole separate train to the Airport? :confused:

huuge crowd gonna test it out

I give it a month until someone jumps.